Songs That Changed the World--The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era: "If Today Was Your Last Day" by Nickelback

There's been a lot of songs with this theme, which should tell us that we should heed their theme.  There are indeed songs and songwriters today that "get it".  Here is Nickelback and "If Today Was Your Last Day".  Truer words have never been spoken.  

"If Today Was Your Last Day"

by Nickelback

Words and Music by Chad Kroeger


My best friend gave me the best advice
He said each day's a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind
And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest stride

If today was your last day
And tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have?
If today was your last day

Against the grain should be a way of life
What's worth the prize is always worth the fight
Every second counts 'cause there's no second try
So live like you'll never live it twice
Don't take the free ride in your own life

If today was your last day
And tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have?
Would you call old friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories
Would you forgive your enemies?
Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?
Swear up and down to God above
That you finally fall in love
If today was your last day

If today was your last day
Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?
You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars
Regardless of who you are
So do whatever it takes
'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life
Let nothin' stand in your way
Cause the hands of time are never on your side

If today was your last day
And tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?

Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past
Donate every dime you have?
Would you call old friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories
Would you forgive your enemies?
Would you find that one you're dreamin' of?
Swear up and down to God above
That you finally fall in love
If today was your last day

This Date in Rock Music History: September 17

1931:  RCA Records demonstrated the first players to play 33 1/3 records at the Savoy Plaza Hotel in New York City.

1955:  Tennessee Ernie Ford recorded "Sixteen Tons" at the Capitol Records Melrose Avenue Recording Studios in Hollywood, California.
1955:  "Maybellene" by Chuck Berry logged week #7 at the top of the R&B chart.
1962:  The Beatles, Billy Kramer, and the Coasters played the last of three Monday night gigs at the Queen's Hall in Widnes, Lancashire, England.  (Note:  Some sources claim that Rory Storm and the Hurricanes also played this night, when they only played the first two Beatles shows (September 3 and September 10, according to the websites 'Beatles Bible' and 'Liverpool Beat'.  Some sources also say the Beatles played in Widnes, Cheshire, England.  Widnes did not become part of the county of Cheshire until 1974, 12 years after the concert, so it is physically impossible for the Beatles to have played in Widnes, Cheshire.)  

1964:  The Supremes released the single "Baby Love" on Motown Records.  
1964:  The Beatles were in concert at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, an event promoted by Charles Finley, owner of the Kansas City Athletics baseball team.  Finley first offered Beatles manager Brian Epstein $50,000 and was turned down, then $100,000 with a similar result, and finally $150,000.  It was the most money ever offered for one performance at that time.  Other acts on the bill included Jackie DeShannon, the Exciters, and the Bill Black Combo. 
1966:  Wilson Pickett boogied up to #1 with "Land Of 1000 Dances".
1966:  "Born Free" by Roger Williams was #1 on the Easy Listening chart.

                                         The Sandpipers scored a Top 10 hit...

1966:  The Supremes spent a second week at #1 with the original version of "You Can't Hurry Love".  The Beatles moved up to challenge with "Yellow Submarine", swapping places with "Sunshine Superman" by Donovan.  The Association were on the move (14-4) with "Cherish" while the Hollies' big hit "Bus Stop" stopped off at #5.  The rest of the Top 10:  "See You In September" from the Happenings, Wilson Pickett was at position #7 with "Land Of 1000 Dances", the Beach Boys entered the list with "Wouldn't It Be Nice", the Sandpipers were up to 9 with "Guantanamera" and Bobby Hebb had "Sunny".
1967:  The Doors performed "Light My Fire" and "People are Strange" on The Ed Sullivan Show.

1967:  The Who performed on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.  But that's just part of the story.  Drummer Keith Moon rigged his drum set to explode at the conclusion of "My Generation", which he did for every show during the period.  Only this time, the jokester rigged several times the normal amount of explosives, and didn't tell the rest of the group.  The result of the stunt was a massive explosion on stage.  One of Moon's drum cymbals shattered, causing cuts to Moon's leg and arms was cut.  Guitarist Pete Townshend was closest to the blast, which singed his hair. 
1968:  Diana Ross recorded the vocal for "Love Child" without the other Supremes.  The Andantes performed backing vocals on the song, which was completed September 20.
1972:  The Eagles were in concert at Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in Jacksonville, Florida.




1973:  Billy Joel began recording "Piano Man" in the first of five sessions at Devonshire Sound in Los Angeles.











1973:  The Carpenters released their single "Top Of The World".

1975:  Silver Convention released the single "Fly, Robin, Fly".
1975:  The mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada declared today "Guess Who Day" in honor of Canada's all-time top band.
1977:  20 Golden Greats by Diana Ross and the Supremes was the #1 album in the U.K.
1977:  Carly Simon remained at #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "Nobody Does it Better".

1977:  Ronnie McDowell gave us a touching instant tribute to Elvis Presley who died in August.  He moved from 89 to 40 with "The King Is Gone".









1977:  Andy Gibb reached #1 with his first single "I Just Want to Be Your Everything", holding off the Floaters and "Float On".  The four-week #1 "Best Of My Love" from the Emotions was at #3 and James Taylor peaked at 4 with "Handy Man".  The rest of the Top 10:  Fleetwood Mac with the third hit from Rumours--"Don't Stop", K.C. and the Sunshine Band and "Keep It Comin' Love", the Brothers Johnson were up to 7 with "Strawberry Letter 23", ELO and "Telephone Line", the Sanford/Townsend Band had #9--"Smoke From A Distant Fire" and the London Symphony Orchestra reached #10 with the main title from the legendary movie Star Wars.







1977:  Rumours by Fleetwood Mac broke the all-time record for weeks at #1 on the Album chart with 19 on this date.  The blockbuster went on to record its 31st non-consecutive week at #1 on January 14, 1978, a mark that held until March 10, 1984, when Michael Jackson's Thriller scored its 32nd week at #1.  Thriller eventually racked up its 37th week at #1 on April 14, 1984.
1980:  The Bette Midler concert movie Divine Madness premiered in Los Angeles.  (Note:  some websites claim the movie premiered at the Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California.  Those sites have their facts wrong--Midler recorded the performances featured in the movie during four shows at the Civic Auditorium in February, but the movie premiered in Los Angeles on September 17, according to 'Turner Classic Movies'.)
1983:  Vanessa Williams (Miss New York) was crowned Miss America.
1983:  Here's a good show--Def Leppard, Eddie Money, Motley Crue and Uriah Heap in front of 55,000 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California.
1983:  Paul Young topped the U.K. Album chart with No Parlez.
1983:  Prince had a hot song that moved from 55 to 37 on this date--"Delirious".





                                                    Newcomers Men Without Hats...


1983:  Michael Sembello remained at #1 with "Maniac" with Billy Joel climbing up with "Tell Her About It".  Men Without Hats were up to #3 with "The Safety Dance" and Bonnie Tyler's great song "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" was going to be a serious factor in the weeks to come.  The rest of the Top 10:  two former 1's--the Eurythmics and "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" and "Every Break You Take" from the Police, Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" at #7, Taco with "Puttin' On The Ritz", Air Supply roared up from 15 to 9 with "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All" and Asia cracked the Top 10 with "Don't Cry".
1983:  Synchronicity returned to #1 for the Police on the Album chart, temporarily derailing Thriller by Michael Jackson.  The Soundtrack to "Flashdance" was third with Pyromania by Def Leppard logging a 33rd week on the chart.
1988:  Peter Cetera from Sun Valley, Idaho owned the #1 Adult Contemporary song for a third week with "One Good Woman".
1988:  Michael Jackson had the #1 R&B song with "Another Part of Me".
1988:  Hysteria sent a sixth week at #1 on the Album chart for Def Leppard. 

1989:  Paula Abdul won an Emmy Award for Best Choreography for her work on The Tracey Ullman Show.
1991:  Guns N' Roses released the albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II.
1994:  Boyz II Men made it five weeks at #1 on the R&B chart with "I'll Make Love To You".

1994:  Boyz II Men owned the top song with "I'll Make Love To You", Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories were at #2 with "Stay (I Missed You)" and Changing Faces were going to "Stroke You Up".  Babyface was stuck at 4 with "When Can I See You" while John Mellencamp and Me'Shell Ndegeocello dropped with the remake of the Van Morrison song "Wild Night".  The rest of the Top 10:  Luther Vandross & Mariah Carey had a good remake of "Endless Love" that climbed from 31-6, Coolio's "Fantastic Voyage" was on its way down, Elton John was still in the Top 10 after 18 weeks with "Can You Feel The Love Tonight", Sheryl Crow's first big hit "All I Wanna' Do" joined the Top 10 and Warren G had "This D.J.". 

1995:  The Eagles performed at the Arrowhead Pond (now the Honda Center) in Anaheim, California.

1997:  Fleetwood Mac began a reunion tour at the Meadows Music Theater in Hartford, Connecticut.

2002:  Bono of U2 met with U.S. President George W. Bush to discuss giving more money towards AIDS initiatives.  Afterwards, Bono said "I'm not peddling a cause.  Seven thousand people dying per day is not a cause.  It's an emergency."  Bush did not increase funding.
2003:  David Lee Roth tried to be cute on stage at the Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania and it cost him.  He attempted a 15th-century samurai move and the microphone stand he was using swung around and him in the face.  Roth required 21 stitches and had to cancel the remainder of his tour, but no word on if it knocked some sense into him.
2005:  Kanye West had the top album with Late Registration.

2005:  Joel Hirschhorn, who won Academy Awards for Song of the Year for "The Morning After" from The Poseidon Adventure and "We May Never Love This Way Again" from The Towering Inferno, died at the age of 67.  Hirschhorn also wrote songs for many artists including Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and the Osmonds.  (Note:  several sources incorrectly report the death as September 18, 2005 but as you can clearly see from his tombstone pictured above, it was the 17th.)
2006:  The Scissor Sisters owned the #1 song in the U.K. with "I Don't Feel Like Dancing".
2004:  Israeli police arrested two Madonna bodyguards after they assaulted photographers waiting for Madonna at her hotel.  Hooray for Israel!!
2008:  The United States House of Representatives passed a resolution honoring the late Isaac Hayes ("Theme From 'Shaft'") as a "passionate humanitarian".
2009:  John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival was given a Lifetime Award for Songwriting at the Americana Music Association Awards.



Born This Day:

1926:  Bill Black (right, with guitarist Scotty Moore (left) and Elvis Presley (center)), famed bassist for Elvis and leader of the Bill Black Combo, was born in Memphis, Tennessee; died of a brain tumor in Memphis October 21, 1965.









1939:  Lamonte McLemore, founder and vocalist with the Fifth Dimension, was born in St. Louis, Missouri.
1950:  John Waldo "Fee" Waybill, vocalist of the Tubes ("She's A Beauty") was born in Omaha, Nebraska.
1962:  BeBe Winans was born in Detroit, Michigan.
1962:  Baz Luhrmann ("Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen") was born in Sydney, Australia.
1968:  Anastacia was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1970:  Vincent Brown of Naughty By Nature, who went by the stage name of Vin Rock, was born in East Orange, New Jersey.
1976:  Maile Misajon of Eden's Crush was born in Long Beach, California.
1979:  Chuck Comeau, drummer of Simple Plan, was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
1985:  Jonathan Jacob Walker, bassist of Panic at the Disco, was born in Chicago, Illinois.

Songs That Changed the World--The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era: "Sing" by the Carpenters

Ah, the power of the individual and their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

"Sing"

by the Carpenters

Words and Music by Joe Raposo

Sing, sing a song
Sing out loud
Sing out strong
Sing of good things not bad
Sing of happy not sad.

Sing, sing a song
Make it simple to last
Your whole life long
Don't worry that it's not
Good enough for anyone
Else to hear
Just sing, sing a song.

Sing, sing a song
Let the world sing along
Sing of love there could be
Sing for you and for me.

Sing, sing a song
Make it simple to last
Your whole life long
Don't worry that it's not
Good enough for anyone
Else to hear
Just sing, sing a song.

This Date in Rock Music History: September 16

1960:  Johnny Burnette recorded "You're Sixteen".

1963:  "She Loves You" by the Beatles was released by Swan Records in the United States and, despite being #1 in the U.K., was ignored until 1964 when the Beatles' invasion was well underway.
1964:  The Everly Brothers, the Righteous Brothers, Sam Cooke, Bobby Sherman, the Wellingtons and comedian Alan Sues helped premiere the series Shindig! on ABC-TV.
1965:  The Dean Martin Show premiered on ABC-TV.  It would last 10 years.
1965:  The Rolling Stones, the Everly Brothers, the Byrds and the McCoys opened the second season of Shindig!
1966:  Bassist Pete Quaife left the Kinks temporarily after suffering severe injuries in a car crash.  Quaife left the group for good in 1969.
1967:  The Beatles recorded "Your Mother Should Know" at EMI Studios, the third of four recordings of the song.  The version was not used at the time on the Magical Mystery Tour album, but was later included on the compilation Anthology 2.

                              Eddie Brigati gave one of the great vocal performances of the Rock Era...

1967:  The Young Rascals moved up big (80 to 43) with "How Can I Be Sure".
1969:  The Debbie Reynolds Show premiered on CBS-TV.  (Note:  some websites claim the show premiered on August 16, but it was on September 16, according to the book 'The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present' by Tim Brooks and Earle F. Marsh.)  

 

1970:  Jimi Hendrix performed for the final time, appearing with Eric Burdon and War at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club (47 Frith Street) in London.
1971:  Led Zeppelin played at the Honolulu Civic Auditorium in Hawai'i.
1972:  The Eagles were in concert at the Curtis Hixon Convention Hall in Tampa, Florida.
1972:  Rod Stewart topped the U.K. Album chart with Never A Dull Moment.
1972:  Mac Davis reached #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me".








           
                                                    Chicago had a hot song...

1972:  Three Dog Night jumped from 9 to 1 with their 10th Top 10 and 14th hit--"Black And White".  Mac Davis was up with "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me" and Gilbert O'Sullivan finally relinquished the #1 spot after six weeks with "Alone Again (Naturally)".  Chicago jumped from 10 to 4 with "Saturday In The Park".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Back Stabbers" from the O'Jays, the Hollies were on their way down with "Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress), Gary Glitter and "Rock And Roll Part 2", Looking Glass was at 8 with "Brandy (You're A Fine Girl)", Elton John scored another Top 10 hit with "Honky Cat" and Al Green had "I'm Still In Love With You".












1973:  Charlie Rich released the single "The Most Beautiful Girl".
1974:  Bob Dylan began recording his album Blood on the Tracks.  (Note:  the magazine 'Uncut' reports that recording began on September 12.  They don't have their facts straight.  According to Glenn Berger (the only one besides Dylan present that day that is still alive), assistant to Phil Ramone, Dylan began recording on the beginning of the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah, which in 1974 began September 16.)
1977:  The Rolling Stones released the album Love You Live in the U.S.  (Note:  some sources report the release as September 23.--The album was much-delayed before the newspaper 'The New York Times' reported it was scheduled to be released September 8.  The release date was further delayed after that article and our best information indicates it was released September 15 in the U.K. and September 16 in the United States.)
1977:  Marc Bolan, the wild frontman of T. Rex, died in a car accident in Barnes, London at the age of 29. (Barnes, London.)
1978:  Blondie performed in two shows at the Hammersmith Odeon in London.

1979:  Don't Look Back reached #1 on the Album chart for Boston.  They jumped over the Rolling Stones album Some Girls like it was standing still (which it was).  Foreigner stayed at 3 with Double Vision while the "Grease" Soundtrack was #4.
1989:  U2 jammed with B.B. King on a boat that had been rented for King on his 64th birthday in Sydney Harbour in Australia.








           
                                     Madonna with one of her biggest career hits...

1989:  Gloria Estefan had the #1 song with "Don't Wanna' Lose You", Milli Vanilli had #2--"Girl I'm Gonna' Miss You" and Warrant was at 3 with "Heaven".  The rest of the Top 10:  New Kids on the Block and "Hangin' Tough", Surface with "Shower Me With Your Love", Paula Abdul's former #1 "Cold Hearted" was at #6, Cher's comeback song "If I Could Turn Back Time", Skid Row with "18 And Life", the Jeff Healey Band had song #9 with "Angel Eyes" and Madonna hit the Top 10 with "Cherish".

1989:  11 years after Saturday Night Fever and 31 years after they began their career, the Bee Gees reached #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart with "One".
1991:  Willie Nelson married makeup artist Ann-Marie D'Angelo.
1992:  Barbra Streisand performed for the first time in six years at a fundraiser in Hollywood, California for the Democratic Party in the United States.
1993:  The home of Grace Slick of Jefferson Starship was destroyed by a fire in Corte Madera, California. 
1993:  Thomas Kaye, singer-songwriter and keyboard player for Jay & the Americans and later a producer, died in Warwick, New York after taking an overdose of painkillers.  (Note:  some websites report Kaye died September 14.  Although there are no credible sources for either date, our best research indicates he died September 16.)





1996:  Sheryl Crow released the single "If It Makes You Happy".  (Note:  one naive website claims the song was released September 20.  "If It Makes You Happy" debuted on the Singles chart on September 21.  The deadline for radio stations to report new songs on their playlists to have them counted for the new Singles chart on Saturdays is Wednesday.  In 1996, Wednesday fell on September 18, making a release date of September 20 physically impossible.)
1997:  Usher released his second album My Way on LaFace Records.









1998:  Mott the Hoople reunited for the first time in 24 years for a performance at the Virgin Megastore on Oxford Street in London.
2003:  Sheb Wooley ("The Purple People-Eater") died of leukemia in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 82.
2004:  Green Day performed their rock opera American Idiot during their show at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood, California.
2004:  Izora Rhodes Armstead of the Weather Girls died of heart failure at the age of 62 in San Leandro, California.  She also sang backup for C+C Music Factory and Sylvester.  
2004:  The coroner's report revealed that Rick James ("Superfreak") had nine drugs in his system when he died in August, including cocaine, methamphetamine, Valium and Vicodin.
2006:  Bill Berry, the original drummer of R.E.M., joined the band onstage in Atlanta for a performance honoring their induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
2006:  Bob Dylan went to #1 on the Album chart with Modern Times.
2008:  Norman Whitfield, songwriter and producer on such hits as "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", "Cloud Nine", "War", "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and many others, died at age 68 of diabetes and other illnesses in Los Angeles.

2009:  Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary died of leukemia at the age of 72 in Danbury, Connecticut.







Born This Day:

1925:  B.B. King was born on a cotton plantation between Itta Bena and Indianola, Mississippi; died in Las Vegas, Nevada May 14, 2015 two weeks after being placed in home hospice care of dehydration.  
1941:  Joe Butler, drummer and a founding member of Lovin' Spoonful, was born in Glen Cove, New York.  (Note:  some naive websites report Butler was born in Long Island, New York.  Long Island is neither a city nor a county and you will never see it listed on an official birth certificate.  He was born in Glen Cove, New York.)
1942:  Bernie Calvert, bass guitarist for the Hollies, was born in Brierfield, Lancashire, England.  (Note:  one website reports Calvert was born in Nelson, England while another says he was born in Burnley, England.  According to the newspaper 'The Manchester Beat', he was born in Brierfield.) 
1944:  Betty Kelley (stage name Betty Kelly) of Martha and the Vandellas was born in Attalla, Alabama.
1948:  Ron Blair, bass guitarist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, was born in San Diego, California.





1948:  Kenney Jones, drummer for the Faces and later the Who, was born in Whitechapel, London.  (Note:  one website reports Jones was born in Whitechapel, East London, England.  Another says he was born in Stepney, London.  According to the book 'Had Me A Real Good Time:  The Faces Before, During and After' by Andy Neill, Kenney was born in Whitechapel Hospital in London.)

1950:  David Bellamy of the Bellamy Brothers ("Let Your Love Flow" from 1976) was born in Darby, Florida.

1963:  Richard Marx was born in Chicago, Illinois.

1968:  Marc Anthony (real name Marco Antonio Muñiz) was born in New York City.
1976:  Tina Barrett of S Club 7 was born in Hammersmith, London, England.
1977:  Musiq Soulchild (Talib Johnson) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1992:  Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers was born in Dallas, Texas.

Hits List: Little River Band

One of the great bands of the 70's and 80's was this one right here from Australia.  It's interesting that although the group was launched in their native country, Australia largely missed the boat on some of their best songs.  Here is their complete Hits List:

1975:  "Curiosity (Killed the Cat)" (#15 Australia)
           "Emma" (#20 Australia)
           "It's a Long Way There" (#28, #35 Australia)
           "I'll Always Call Your Name" (#62)
1976:  "Everyday of My Life" (#29 Australia)
           "Broke Again"
1977:  "Help Is On Its Way" (#14, #1 Australia)
           "Witchery" (#33 Australia)
           "Home On Monday" (#73 Australia)
           "Happy Anniversary" (#16)



1978:  "Shut Down Turn Off" (#16 Australia)
           "Reminiscing" (#3, #35 Australia)
           "So Many Paths"
           "Lady" (#10, #7 Adult Contemporary, #46 Australia)
1979:  "Lonesome Loser" (#6, #19 Australia)
           "Cool Change" (#10)
1980:  "It's Not a Wonder" (live) (#51)
1981:  "The Night Owls" (#6, #18 Australia)
           "Take It Easy On Me" (#10, #14 AC)
           "Man On Your Mind" (#14, #26 AC)



1982:  "The Other Guy" (#11, #6 AC, #18 Australia)
           "Down on the Border" (#7 Australia)
           "St. Louis" (#43 Australia)
1983:  "We Two" (#22, #17 AC, #49 Australia)
           "You're Driving Me Out of My Mind" (#35 AC)
1985:  "Playing To Win" (#60, #59 Australia)
           "Blind Eyes"
1986:  "Faces in the Crowd"
           "When the War Is Over"
           "No Reins On Me" (#73 Australia)
           "Paper Paradise"
1988:  "Love Is a Bridge" (#6 Australia)
           "Son of a Famous Man" (#62 Australia)
           "Soul Searching" (#52 Australia)
1990:  "Every Time I Turn Around" (#27 AC)
           "If I Get Lucky" (#22 AC, #75 Australia)

That's eight hits with half of those Top 10 and 12 Adult Contemporary hits with two Top 10's.

Hits List: Chic

This group burned up the dance floor in the late 70's.  We feature the Hits List of Chic:




1977:  "Dance, Dance Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) (#6, #6 R&B, #1 Dance, #11 Ireland, #6 U.K.)
           "Everybody Dance" (#38, #12 R&B, #6 Ireland, #9 U.K.)



1978:  "Le Freak" (#1, #1 R&B, #1 Dance, #48 Adult Contemporary, #20 Ireland, #7 U.K.)
           "I Want Your Love" (#7, #5 R&B, #1 Dance, #9 AC, #20 Ireland, #4 U.K.)
1979:  "Good Times" (#1, #1 R&B, #3 Dance, #26 AC, #21 Ireland, #5 U.K.)
           "My Forbidden Lover" (#43, #33 R&B, #3 Dance, #28 Ireland, #15 U.K.)
           "My Feet Keep Dancing" (#42 R&B, #3 Dance, #18 Ireland, #21 U.K.)
1980:  "Rebels Are We" (#61, #8 R&B, #29 Dance)
           "Real People/Chip Off the Old Block" (#79, #51 R&B, #29 Dance)
1981:  "Stage Fright" (#34 R&B)

1982:  "Soup for One" (#80, #14 R&B)
           "Hangin'" (#48 R&B, #64 U.K.)
1983:  "Give Me the Lovin'" (#57 R&B)
1984:  "You Are Beautiful"
           "Party Everybody"
           "Chic Cheer" (#81 U.K.)
1987:  "Jack Le Freak" (#15 Dance, #13 Ireland, #19 U.K.)
1988:  "Good Times" (remix)
1990:  "Mega Chic-Chic Medley" (#58 U.K.)
1992:  "Chic Mystique" (#48 R&B, #1 Dance, #48 U.K.)
           "Your Love" (#3 Dance)

Hits List: Peter Cetera

Cetera was a singer/songwriter and bassist for one of America's top groups, Chicago, before launching a successful solo career.  These days, of course, he lives in Sun Valley, Idaho, one of the world's most beautiful locations (and certainly where the "beautiful people" hang out...).  Here is the complete solo Hits List for Mr. Cetera:

1982:  "Livin' in the Limelight" (#6 Mainstream Rock)
1983:  "Hold Me 'Til the Morning Comes (with Paul Anka) (#40, #2 Adult Contemporary)



1986:  "Glory of Love" (#1, #1 Adult Contemporary, #3 U.K.)
           "The Next Time I Fall" (with Amy Grant) (#1, #1 AC)
1987:  "Big Mistake" (#61)
           "Only Love Knows Why" (#24 AC)
1988:  "One Good Woman" (#4, #1 AC)
           "Best of Times" (#59, #22 AC)
           "You Never Listen To Me" (#32 Mainstream)



1992:  "Restless Heart" (#35, #1 AC)
1993:  "Feels Like Heaven" (with Chaka Khan) (#71, #5 AC)
           "Even a Fool Can See" (#68, #3 AC)
1995:  "(I Wanna' Take) Forever Tonight" (with Crystal Bernard) (#86, #22 AC)
1996:  "One Clear Voice" (#12 AC)
           "Faithfully" (#13 AC)
1997:  "You're the Inspiration" (#77, #29 AC)
           "Do You Love Me That Much" (#6 AC)
1998:  "She Doesn't Need Me Anymore" (#27 AC)



2001:  "Perfect World" (#21)
2005:  "You Just Gotta' Love Christmas" (#39 AC)
           "Something That Santa Claus Left Behind" (#37 AC)

That's 17 hits on the Adult Contemporary chart for Cetera, with seven of those Top 10 and three going all the way to #1.

Songs That Changed the World--The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era: "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" by Johnny Rivers

Johnny Rivers took a popular folk song and made it better.  From flowers to young girls to husbands to soldiers to graveyards to flowers.  And repeat ad nauseum.  

"Where Have All the Flowers Gone"

by Johnny Rivers

The lines "Where are the flowers, the girls have plucked them. Where are the girls, they've all taken husbands. Where are the men, they're all in the army" are from the traditional Cossacks folk song "Tovchu, tovchu mak".  Pete Seeger adapted them and wrote the first three verses; Joe Hickerson completed the song that you hear from Johnny Rivers. 




Where have all the flowers gone
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone
Young girls pick them every one
When will they ever learn
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young girls gone
Long time passing
Where have all the young girls gone

Long time ago
Where have all the young girls gone
Taken husbands, every one
When will they ever learn
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young men gone
Long time passing
Where have all the young men gone
A long, long time ago
Where have all the young men gone
Gone to soldiers every one
When will they ever learn
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the soilders gone
Long time passing
Where have all the soilders gone
Long time ago
Where have all the soilders gone
Gone to graveyards every one
When will they ever learn
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the graveyards gone
Long time passing
Where have all the graveyards gone
Long time ago
Where have all the graveyards gone
Gone to flowers
When will they ever learn
When will they ever learn?

This Date in Rock Music History: September 15

1956:  Elvis Presley's monumental double-sided hit "Hound Dog"/"Don't Be Cruel" was the #1 song on the R&B chart.

1961:  The Pendletones of Hawthorne, California recorded the song "Surfin'" at Hite and Dorinda Morgan's recording studio in Los Angeles.  The song would have a big influence on their career as the Beach Boys, as they were later known.

Discography: ELO

The unique sound of this British group propelled them to becoming one of the top groups of the 1970's.  Here is the Discography for ELO:



1971:  Electric Light Orchestra (U.K.)/No Answer (U.S.) (#196, #32 U.K.)
1972:  ELO 2 (U.K.)/Electric Light Orchestra II (U.S.) (#62, #35 U.K.)
1973:  On the Third Day (#52, #10 Australia)
1974:  Eldorado (#16, #40 Australia, #4 Netherlands)
1975:  Face the Music (#8, #30 Australia, #11 Netherlands)
1976:  A New World Record (#5, #6 U.K., #1 Australia, #2 Netherlands)
1977:  Out of the Blue (#4, #4 U.K., #3 Australia, #3 Netherlands)



1979:  Discovery (#5, #1 U.K., #1 Australia, #6 Netherlands)
1981:  Time (#16, #1 U.K., #2 Australia, #2 Netherlands)
1983:  Secret Messages (#36, #4 U.K., #11 Australia, #7 Netherlands)
1986:  Balance of Power (#49, #9 U.K., #29 Australia)
2001:  Zoom (#94, #34 U.K., #51 Australia, #46 Netherlands)

Live Albums:
1974:  The Night the Light Went On in Long Beach
1998:  Live At Wembley '78
           Live at Winterland '76
1999:  Live at the BBC

Compilations:
1976:  Ole ELO (#36)
1977:  The Light Shines On 
1978:  Three Light Years (#38)
1979:  ELO's Greatest Hits (#30, #7 U.K.) 
1989:  The Very Best of the Electric Light Orchestra (#28 U.K.)
1994:  The Very Best of the Electric Light Orchestra (#4 U.K.)
1997:  Light Years:  The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra (#60 U.K.)



2001:  The Ultimate Collection (#18 U.K.)
2005:  All Over the World:  The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra (#6 U.K.)

Songs That Changed the World--The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era: "Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2

It should be obvious to all that Martin Luther King had it right.  When a band like U2 in Ireland can hear his message, you know the things he stood for were profound and life-changing.  Sure, some people felt threatened by King but we now see that those people were insignificant compared to King and the larger goal--the pureness of spirit that he stood for.  For it's not the individual but the idea that is important.  King's dream lives on and in fact is being lived, despite what you may read or hear in the media.

"Pride (In the Name of Love)"

by U2

Words by Bono, Music by Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen, Jr.

One man come in the name of love
One man come and go
One man come here to justify
One man to overthrow

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love

One man caught on a barbed wire fence
One man he resist
One man washed on an empty beach
One man betrayed with a kiss

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love

Early morning, April 4
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love

In the name of love
What more in the name of love
In the name of love
What more in the name of love

This Date in Rock Music History: September 14

1955:  Little Richard recorded "Tutti Frutti" at J&M Studios in New Orleans, Louisiana.

1959:  Sandy Nelson made a huge leap, jumping from 84 to 28, with "Teen Beat".
1959:  "The Three Bells" from the Browns was #1 for the fourth week in a row.  The instrumental "Sleep Walk" by Santo & Johnny came in #2 followed by Lloyd Price and "I'm Gonna' Get Married".  Phil Phillips had the original "Sea Of Love" (he also co-wrote the song) and the Everly Brothers were fifth with "('Til) I Kissed You".  The rest of the Top 10:  "Red River Rock", another instrumental, was #6 from Johnny & the Hurricanes, "Broken-Hearted Melody" from Sarah Vaughan, Fats Domino with "I Want To Walk You Home", Bobby Darin's "Mack The Knife" moved from 24-9 while Jan & Dean entered the list with "Baby Talk".
1963:  Although most of us wouldn't know them until their hit "Back Stabbers" nine years later, the O'Jays first charted on this date with the single "Lonely Drifter".


1963:  "She Loves You" by the Beatles became the #1 song in the U.K.  It would remain as the biggest-selling single in the history of the U.K. until 1977.
1963:  "Heat Wave" by Martha & the Vandellas took over at #1 on the R&B chart.
1963:  The Ronettes moved from 55 to 20 with "Be My Baby".
1966:  George Harrison and his wife Pattie went to India for the first time to visit with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.  (Note:  some websites falsely report Harrison left for India on September 20, an impossibility for he held a press conference in Bombay on September 19.  George and Pattie traveled on September 14, according to 'Beatles Bible'.)
1966:  For 10 schillings (about $1.40) you could see Otis Redding in concert at the Orchid Ballroom in Purley, London, England.  (Note:  some websites falsely say the show was in Purley, Surrey, England.  In 1963, Purley became part of Greater London, three years before Redding came to town.)
1967:  The Jimi Hendrix Experience were on the British television show Top of the Pops.
1968:  The Archies cartoon series debuted on CBS-TV.
1968:  Pete Townshend of the Who told Rolling Stone magazine he was working on a rock opera about a deaf, dumb and blind boy.
1968:  Roy Orbison's house in Hendersonville, Tennessee burned to the ground.  Orbison was touring the U.K. at the time but his two oldest sons both died in the fire.  (Note:  some websites falsely say Orbison's house was in Nashville, Tennessee.  He lived on Old Hickory Lake in Hendersonville, a suburb of Nashville.)

1968:  The Doors held on to #1 on the Album chart with Waiting for the Sun.  Time Peace/The Rascals' Greatest Hits, Wheels of Fire from Cream and Feliciano! by Jose Feliciano were stuck in their respective positions.  The rest of the Top 10:  Realization by Johnny Rivers, the self-titled Steppenwolf, the former #1 album Disraeli Gears by Cream, now in its 41st week, Are You Experienced? by Jimi Hendrix Experience was #8, Aretha Now from Aretha Franklin was #9 and "The Graduate" Soundtrack moved back into the Top 10.






   
                                      The great group Deep Purple entered the Top 10...

1968:  The Rascals remained at the top spot with "People Got To Be Free", the fifth week at #1 for the song.  Jeannie C. Riley was determined with "Harper Valley P.T.A.", Jose Feliciano's version of "Light My Fire" peaked at #3 and Steppenwolf was down with "Born to Be Wild".  The rest of the Top 10:  "1,2,3, Red Light" by the sugary 1910 Fruitgum Company, Aretha Franklin and "The House That Jack Built", Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell edged up with "You're All I Need To Get By", Deep Purple was up strong (13-8) with "Hush", the Doors' former #1 "Hello, I Love You" and the Beatles made history with the highest debut ever at that time (#10) for "Hey Jude".
1969:  Genesis performed in concert for the first time in Surrey, England at the home of Peter Gabriel's Sunday school teacher.
1970:  Stevie Wonder married Syreeta Wright, a former secretary at Motown Records.
1974:  Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Joni Mitchell, the Band, and Jesse Colin Young gave 80,000 people plenty of reasons to fill London's Wembley Stadium to capacity.





1974:  Olivia Newton John rose to #1 on the Easy Listening chart with "I Honestly Love You".











1974:  Stevie Wonder's great album Fulfillingness' First Finale reached #1 after just six weeks.  The debut from Bad Company was #2 followed by the previous #1--461 Ocean Boulevard from Eric Clapton.  Endless Summer from the Beach Boys jumped from 9-4.  The rest of the Top 10:  Rags to Rufus from Rufus, Olivia Newton-John was up from 21 to 6 with If You Love Me, Let Me Know, Bachman-Turner Overdrive II was #7, Marvin Gaye Live! came in eighth, Chicago VII was up and Caribou by Elton John closed out the list.
1976:  Bob Dylan starred in the television special Hard Rain on NBC.
1976:  Jeff Beck was awarded a Gold record for his album Wired.

1978:  The Grateful Dead played the first of three nights at the Gizah Sound and Light Theater at the foot of the Great Pyramid in Egypt.













1979:  The Commodores released the single "Still" on Motown Records.









1979:  Kenny Rogers earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1979:  The movie Quadrophenia, based on the Who's 1973 rock opera, opened in theaters.
1981:  Pink Floyd began work on the movie The Wall.
1983:  Metallica debuted their new song "Disposable Heroes" at the Metal Hammer Festival in St. Goarshausen, Germany.
1984:  Bette Midler and Dan Aykroyd co-hosted the first MTV Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.  You might wonder what MTV has to do with music?  Back then, it stood for "Music Television" instead of "Mundane Television".  The Cars won Video the Year for "You Might Think".  (Note:  many sources incorrectly list the date as September 18, but according to the book 'Madonna' by Andrew Morton and other reputable sources, the correct date was September 14.) 
1985:  Kool & the Gang reached #1 on the R&B chart with "Cherish".



1985:  "Cherish" by Kool & the Gang spent a fourth week at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
1984:  Bette Midler and Dan Aykroyd co-hosted the first MTV Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.  You might wonder what MTV has to do with music?  Back then, it stood for "Music Television" instead of "Mundane Television".  The Cars won Video the Year for "You Might Think".  (Note:  many sources incorrectly list the date as September 18, but according to the book Madonna by Andrew Morton and other reputable sources, the correct date was September 14.) 

1989:  Sting debuted in the theater when he performed in The Threepenny Opera at the National Theater in Washington, D.C.  (Note:  some websites say Sting's debut was Thursday, September 13, but it was the 14th, according to the newspapers 'The Washington Post' and 'The Los Angeles Times'.)

1989:  Band leader Perez Prado ("Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White" from 1955) died of a stroke in Mexico City, Mexico at the age of 72.

1991:  Metallica remained at #1 on the Album chart with their self-titled album (commonly called The Black Album).  Natalie Cole was still at #2 with Unforgettable with Love while another great album from Bonnie Raitt--Luck of the Draw came in third.  C.M.B. from Color Me Badd was #4 and Boyz II Men were harmonizing their way up with Cooleyhighharmony.  The rest of the Top 10:  For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge by Van Halen, Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band debuted at #7 with The Fire Inside, Time, Love & Tenderness from Michael Bolton was #8, C+C Music Factory's Gonna' Make You Sweat and Paula Abdul was on her way down with Spellbound.

1991:  Paula Abdul had released nine songs and "The Promise Of A New Day" gave her the sixth #1 of her career on this date.  Color Me Badd was up strong with "I Adore Mi Amor".  Bryan Adams finally fell from the top after seven weeks there with "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You".  Boyz II Men dropped with "Motownphilly" and C+C Music Factory were at 5 with "Things That Make You Go Hmmmm...".  
1991:  Adults made "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" by Bryan Adams #1 for a seventh week on the AC chart.

1993:  Meat Loaf released the single "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That").  (Note:  one website naively says the single was released September 18.  "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That") debuted on the Singles chart on September 19.  Never mind the fact that it is physically impossible for a record company to release a single, mail the single to radio stations, be listened to and added to station playlist, reported to the trade papers, and printed and published by the trade papers in two days.  The deadline for reporting new additions to radio station playlists is Wednesday of any given week.  Wednesday in 1993 was on September 16.)  

1994:  The Temptations received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7060 Hollywood Boulevard.
1995:  Nine Inch Nails and David Bowie performed at Meadows Music Theater in Hartford, Connecticut.








1995:  Earth, Wind & Fire received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard.
1995:  The handwritten lyrics to the song "Getting Better" by the Beatles fetched today's equivalent of $214,231 (£161,000) at a Sotheby's auction in London.








                                                   Celine scored another hit...

1996:  Los Del Rio spent a seventh week at #1 with "Macarena" and it was nowhere near done.  The only new Top 10 song was "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" from Celine Dion, which moved from 12 to 7.
1997:  Pete Townshend unveiled an English Heritage Blue Plaque at 23 Brook Street in London, the location where Jimi Hendrix lived in 1968 and 1969.  Hendrix was the first rock star to be awarded with the Plaque.
1998:  Metallica began work on the album Garage Inc.
1999:  The Strokes debuted at the Spiral in Manhattan, New York.
2000:  Sheryl Crow, Paul Simon, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Bette Midler performed at a fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, New York.
2002:  Gwen Stefani of No Doubt married Gavin Rossdale of Bush at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
2003:  Britney Spears made a surprise appearance at Palms Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
2003:  Gerry Marsden from Gerry & the Pacemakers had triple heart bypass surgery in Liverpool, England.
2006:  Marianne Faithfull announced through her publicist that she was being treated for breast cancer.
2007:  The movie Across the Universe, inspired by the Beatles' song, opened in theaters.
2008:  Metallica had the #1 album in the U.K. with Death Magnetic.
2010:  Patti Labelle officially joined the cast of the musical Fela! after two "sneak peek" performances on September 8-9.


Born This Day:
1914:  Mae Boren Axton, who wrote Elvis Presley's classic "Heartbreak Hotel", was born in Bardwell, Texas; drowned in her hot tub in Hendersonville, Tennessee after an apparent heart attack on April 9, 1997.
1946:  Pete Agnew, bassist of Nazareth, was born in Dunfermline, Scotland.
1947:  Jon "Bowzer" Bauman of Sha Na Na was born in Brooklyn, New York.
1949:  Steve Gaines, guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd, was born in Seneca, Missouri; died October 20, 1977 in Gillsburg, Mississippi in a plane crash that also killed Ronnie Van Zant and Steve's sister, Cassie Gaines.  (Note:  one website claims Steve was born in Miami, Oklahoma.  Our best information is that Gaines was born in Seneca and raised in Miami, Oklahoma.)

1950:  Paul Kossoff, guitarist of the group Free, was born in Hampstead, London, England; died March 19, 1976 of drug-related heart problems while on a flight from Los Angeles to New York City.  (Note:  some websites report Kossoff was born in London.  Although today Hampstead is part of the borough of Camden in the county of London, that change was not made until 1965, 15 years after Kossoff was born.  In 1950, Hampstead was a borough of London.)
1954:  Barry Cowsill, drummer and later bassist of the Cowsills, was born in Newport, Rhode Island; died circa September 2, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana as a result of Hurricane Katrina (Note:  some websites report he died circa August 29.  Cowsill had been reported missing before his body was recovered December 28 from the Chartres Street Wharf.  According to Barry's sister Susan, he left four messages for her on her phone on September 2, so we know August 29 is inaccurate.) 
1955:  Steve Berlin, saxophonist and keyboardist of Los Lobos, who has worked with Sheryl Crow, R.E.M., Rickie Lee Jones, the Crash Test Dummies, John Lee Hooker, Faith No More, the Smithereens and others as either a session musician or producer, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 
1959:  Morten Harket, lead singer of A-Ha, was born in Kongsberg, Norway.
1970:  Craig Montoya, bass guitarist of Everclear, was born in Spokane, Washington
1973:  Nas was born in Brooklyn, New York.
1981:  Ashley Roberts of the Pussycat Dolls was born in Phoenix, Arizona.
1983:  Amy Winehouse was born in Enfield, London; died of alcohol poisoning in London on July 23, 2011.  (Note:  several websites report Amy was born in Southgate, London.  According to the book 'Amy Amy Amy - The Amy Winehouse Story' by Nick Johnstone, Winehouse was born in a hospital in Enfield.)